Bundling up and heading out to beat the cold is usually a major sign that winter is coming. But for Arizonans, busier highways, longer waits at restaurants and international driver’s licenses are the main indicators.
Winter here means one thing: snowbird season.
This is usually a time when Canadians escape the cold and spend their time and money soaking up the sun in the desert. But this year, we have plenty of sunshine, but a lack of Canadians.
Friendly neighbors to the north are feeling the indignity and economic punishment of President Donald Trump. He has imposed and increased tariffs on Canadian goods and has expressed a desire to see Canada become the 51st state of the union.
“I would like to see Canada become our 51st state. We provide them with protection, military protection. (…) We don’t need anything,” the president said in February 2025.
Now, Arizona and the rest of the country are feeling the economic hit from not having as many reliable snowbirds from Canada.
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Ron Hansen joins two experts to discuss the impact a lack of Canadian tourists is having on Arizona.
First up, Republic consumer travel reporter Michael Salerno joins The Gaggle to break down the differences in Canadian travel this year.
We’re then joined by Miles Zimbaluk, founder and CEO of Canada to USA Inc., an Arizona-based company that provides cross-border services to Canadians traveling to the United States.
Listen to the episode
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notes: The purpose of Gaggle is to be heard. But we also provide a transcript of the episode. Podcast audio may be slightly off.
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This article originally appeared in The Arizona Republic: Fewer Canadian tourists visiting Arizona, affecting economy